Device for compensating excess pressures in closed containers

ABSTRACT

In a container designed to hold a volatile liquid is arranged a hollow body, preferably having the shape of a tube with a pleated or undulating wall of an elastic material. The hollow body is disposed in the filling and drainage opening of the container and is attached to a socket which may be screwed onto a mouth connecting piece located at the container opening, with the hollow body directed either inwards into the container or outwards. At the end opposite the socket the hollow body may be closed by means of a lid. An excess gas pressure arising in the container will be compensated for by compression of the hollow body bellow-like, thereby causing air to stream out through an opening in a container closure lid.

United States Patent 1 Petersson DEVICE FOR COMPENSATING EXCESSPRESSURES 1N CLOSED CONTAINERS [76] Inventor: Bengt Olov Petersson,Korkarlens Gata 18, Hisings Backa, Sweden [22] Filed: Mar. 8, 1973 [21]Appl. No.: 339,377

2,691,462 10/1954 Fletcher 220/85 B 2,947,453 8/1960 Parish, Jr. et a1.220/85 SP 3,233,411 2/1966 Schubert 220/85 B 3,613,966 10/1971 Summers220/85 SP FORElGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 666,194 4/1961 ltaly 220/85 B1,109,506 9/1955 France 220/85 B ljllllflllllllllll [4.51 Feb. 11,- 1975260,775 3/1968 Austria 220/85 B 566,472 11/1958 Canada 220/85 SP 468,3081/1952 ltaly 220/85 SP [57] ABSTRACT In a container designed to hold avolatile liquid is arranged a hollow body, preferably having the shapeof a tube with a pleated or undulating wall of an elastic material. Thehollow body is disposed'in the filling and drainage opening of thecontainer and is attached to a socket which may be screwed onto a mouthconnecting piece located at the container opening. with the hollow bodydirected either inwards into the container or outwards.

At the end opposite the socket the hollow body may be closed by means ofa lid.

An excess gas pressure arising in the container will be compensated forby compression of the hollow body bellow-like, thereby causing air tostream out through an opening in a container closure lid.

2 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures DEVICE FOR COMPENSATING EXCESS PRESSURES INCLOSED CONTAINERS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION body being elastic andadapted, when influenced by an excess pressure generated inside thecontainer, to be compressed while evacuating air present in the bodythrough said aperture, the inherent resiliency of the body being such asto permit the body to rebounce into vided with a special opening inwhich the'body is inserted and with additional securing means to retainthe body.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The purpose of the present invention is toprovide a simplified construction of a device of the above kind. Inaccordance with the invention this purpose is obtained in that thehollow body is disposed in the filling and drainage opening of thecontainer and has the shape of a tube having a pleated or undulatingwall and in that the inner end of the body may be closed by means of alid disposed at said end.

In accordance with a further development of the invention the hollowbody is secured to a socket which is removably attached over a mouthconnecting piece positioned in the container opening, the body beingdisposed either so as to project into the container or out from thecontainer. A hollowbody arranged and designed in this manner replacesthe rigid metal tube which normally is found in containers of this kindfor the purpose of facilitating transfer of the liquid held in thecontainer into a tank or similar vessel. A container provided with thedevice in accordance with the invention thus is cheaper in manufacturethan the hitherto known arrangements referred to above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERREDEMBODIMENT In a container 1 designed to hold a volatile liquid 2- ,isarranged a hollow body 3, proferably having the shape of a tube with apleated orundulating wall 4 of an elastic material, such as butadienerubber or polyethylene plastics. Thetube is disposed in the filling anddrainage opening 5 of the container 1 and is attached to a socket 6which may be screwed onto a mouth connecting piece 7 located at thecontainer opening, with the tube directed either inwards so as toproject into the container as illustrated in FIG. 1, or outwards inwhich case it is located outside the container, as illustrated in FIG.2. At the end opposite the socket 6 the tube 5 may be closed by meansofa lid 8. In accordance with the embodiment illustrated in the drawingthe lid 8 is arranged so as to turn freely around a pin 9 and may besecured to a marginal flange 10 by interference fit. The closure lid 11of the container may be screwed into the socket 6. The lid 11 isprovided with a small diameter aperture 12 through which the interior ofthe hollow body or tube 3 communicates with the atmospheric air.

In case an excess gas pressure should arise inside the container underthe conditions illustrated in FIG. 1,

i.e., the container being filled, the lid 8 closed, and the lid 11screwed on, the tube 3 will be compressed in the axial direction likebellows, air then streaming out through the opening 12 so as tocompensate for the excess gas pressure inside the container 1. When thelid 11 together with the socket 6 are subsequently screwed off theinherent resiliency of the tube wall 4 will result in the tube graduallyresuming its original shape while air is being sucked in through theopening 12 in the lid 11 into the interior of the tube. Consequently,there is no risk that liquid spurts out of the container when the lid 11is screwed off.-

As a secondary effect, a further advantage is also obtained by means ofthe device in accordance with the invention. If the socket 6 isunscrewed from the mouth connecting piece 7, turned over together withthe tube 3 and again screwed on, in the position illustrated in FIG. 2,the tube 3 replaces the metal tube which commonly is used in a containerof the kind in question to faciliate discharge of liquid from thecontainer. An advantage inherent in the inventive object in this respectis that the tube 3 is flexible as illustrated in dash-andshown anddescribed but modifications are possible within the scope of theappended claims. For instance, the lid 8 may be formed from a separateplug secured to the tube 3 by means of a chain or similar means.

I claim:

1. In an improved device for compensating for pressures inside a closedcontainer designed to hold volatile fluids, said device comprising anelongate hollow body adapted to project from'the outside of saidcontainer into the container interior, means defining an openingcommunicating the interior of said hollow body with the atmospheresurrounding said container, said hollow body being flexible and soconstructed, under the influence of an excess gas pressure generatedinside said container, to be compressed so as to allow air present insaid body to be evacuated through said opening, the inherent resiliencyof said body being such as to allow said body to resume its originalshape upon cessation of said excess gas pressure, the improvementcomprismg:

said hollow body being disposed in the filling and drainage aperture ofsaid container and having the attachable to said connecting piece, saidhollow body being arranged for attachment to said socket in a selectedone of two positions, said two positions including a first position withsaid body projectin g into the interior of said container and a secondposition with said body projecting out from said container.

* I I I

1. In an improved device for compensating for pressures inside a closedcontainer designed to hold volatile fluids, said device comprising anelongate hollow body adapted to project from the outside of saidcontainer into the container interior, means defining an openingcommunicating the interior of said hollow body with the atmospheresurrounding said container, said hollow body being flexible and soconstructed, under the influence of an excess gas pressure generatedinside said container, to be compressed so as to allow air present insaid body to be evacuated through said opening, the inherent resiliencyof said body being such as to allow said body to resume its originalshape upon cessation of said excess gas pressure, the improvementcomprising: said hollow body being disposed in the filling and drainageaperture of said container and having the shape of a tube with a pleatedor undulating wall; and closure means being provided at the end of saidhollow body which projects into the interior of the container to closesaid interior end.
 2. An improved device as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe improvement further comprises: a mouth connecting piece arranged atthe container filling and drainage aperture, a socket removablyattachable to said connecting piece, said hollow body being arranged forattachment to said socket in a selected one of two positions, said twopositions including a first position with said body projecting into theinterior of said container and a second position with said bodyprojecting out from said container.